HP calls it quits with webOS
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When HP bought webOS, the idea was to have the software in printers, tablets, phones and computers all connecting with each other through the use of the operating system. Instead, HP was slow in bringing products to market and when something new was produced, like the HP TouchPad, it sold poorly despite HP's price-cutting on the tablet.
Back in June, HP announced that it was willing to license webOS, but that was mostly for manufacturers producing products outside of HP's usual areas. As far as HP making back its investment in Palm, that would be unlikely. It is still being said that HP will be exploring ways to license the webOS software, and we do hope that it will finally fall in the hands of a capable smartphone manufacturer, which will take full advantage of the platform and manage to present it to the users in its finest.
Palm brought out webOS back in January 2009 when it introduced the Palm Pre at CES. At the time, webOS was lauded as revolutionary with its cards format and the ability to close an app by simply flicking a card off the screen. But poor marketing by Palm and a weak selection of apps was the downfall of the Pre and soon the launch of the Motorola DROID allowed Android to totally overwhelm webOS.
Is this the end of the line for the software or will a company come forward to keep it alive? We should know who is interested in the next few days.
source: AllThingsD
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43 Comments
1. bossmt_2 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 16:17 9 0
Crazy, I think webOS is great for tablets and netbooks.
16. quakan posted on 18 Aug 2011, 18:46 0 0
It was but it lacked in marketing. I bet a lot of consumers have seen the ads but I bet few knew much about it so they either went ahead and bought an iPad or an Android tablet. Apple or Google should buy the OS from HP and just incorporate the best features of it imo.
27. MATOZ posted on 18 Aug 2011, 23:07 0 1
They realize that Andriod sells more than webOS, im just saying...
That's the point!
2. protozeloz posted on 18 Aug 2011, 16:20 0 0
R.I.P
I would love If the G company hires some more webOS devs they could help the OS grow a lot
3. rwolf1984 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 16:27 5 7
FINALLY!!!!! Tired of customers asking for Palms and Pres...Sux to be HP they wasted a lot of time, money and market share trying to be Apple...
4. IEatApples posted on 18 Aug 2011, 16:56 5 1
About time. Webos might of had a shot if there marketing had been stepped up. Rim is next, then we have a 3 horse race. I really hope wp7 can compete because I really don't want to see an apple android only market.
32. Droid_X_Doug posted on 19 Aug 2011, 01:01 0 0
MS is going to have to step up its game if it hopes to play in the smartphone OS market. 600K units in a quarter is not the stuff of market success. It has been what - 2 successive quarters in a row with 600+K unit sales? If the quarter ending 9/30 posts the same 600+K unit sales numbers, start writing off WP7.
Right now, MS is making more revenues licensing their patents than from sales of WP7. Maybe they should start beating the drums on WP8 to distract from the sales failure of WP7.
35. Lucas777 posted on 19 Aug 2011, 01:51 1 1
First off, I believe you had your numbers wrong, or you are not taking Europe into account--wp sells a lot better there... and have u even seen wp7? the mango os is basically the competitive one--it seems like until now it has been a large beta...
And how can you say wp7 is a failure when it has more apps than either android or iOS at the time and has more market share than webos.. microsoft is just getting started... they have shown their commitment to wp7 unlike hp and hopefully they will succeed
5. som posted on 18 Aug 2011, 17:00 2 1
Android and iOS are top dogs and Windows is a top cat.
7. remixfa posted on 18 Aug 2011, 17:13 3 4
Google should totally buy them up and take some of the bright points of WebOS and add it into android. That would differentiate android and iOS even further (with android waaaaay ahead in features and usabilty just like it is now :) ) Im sure whatever patents Palm had would be useful in that anti apple litigation thats going on as well since palm has been around forever.
13. The_Miz posted on 18 Aug 2011, 18:05 3 10
It'd be Google doing what they do best - cashing in off someone else's property.
21. remixfa posted on 18 Aug 2011, 21:02 3 3
no no.. miz.. we call that "apple". suing everyone else because they are more successful or are taking away your customers because they have a better product. lol.
25. taco50 posted on 18 Aug 2011, 22:48 3 6
How's android OS "way" ahead of iOS? Considered their OS is basically a copy of iOS. I guess the constant force closes differentiate it so consumers don't get mixed up.
30. zuno gyakusatsu posted on 19 Aug 2011, 00:36 4 3
Force close errors are a feature of android devices. Just like constant power cycling, "possessed" home screens, and lag.
36. ilia1986 posted on 19 Aug 2011, 03:22 2 2
Exactly. I completely agree with remixfa. WebOS had the best multi-tasking GUI ever invented until now. That, coupled with it's smooth curves in it's GUI could benefit Android greatly.
Perhaps Google will buy just what's left of Palm. I mean, why would HP need the Palm employees now anyway?
Oh and zuno and taco are idiots. Or blind. Or both.
34. droidnator posted on 19 Aug 2011, 01:47 3 1
Thumbing up your own posts, taco? Pathetic. But to answer your question (How's android OS "way" ahead of iOS?) - Android is ahead of iOS... in EVERY WAY. That's how.
And no, burrito, it's the other way around - iOS is copying Android. See iOS 5.
8. I am Right (unregistered) posted on 18 Aug 2011, 17:29 0 0
People are MISREADING this! It says only that hardware is going away. They might keep webOS and license it out like Microsoft with WP7.
